Thom Carter has held many titles in his career. You might know him as Black Crown, Filmforests, Cave Lions, Minimal States, or even March Rosetta. But, his most compelling, yet least eccentric, hat is without a doubt Menhirs of Er Grah. Way back when his short timed but full of life album Mourning Dove hit the digital streets, Thom established himself as one of the finest folk masterminds in the UK. And our man has really outdone himself with his latest effort, From Here To You. Making the call right now, this is the greatest collection of songs that Thom Carter has ever made. Period.
Right from the opening track, “Long Time Gone”, the true and defying of the average spirit of Menhirs of Er Grah is established once again. This time, Thom decides to keep his roots on the entire equation. And as he trot along the heavy streets of folk music, he occasionally passes the corner stores of blues (“Child of Mercy”) and a little bit of pop (“Simple Life), yet he never leaves the spirit of the folk world behind as he expresses the beauty of human intimacy that you just don’t come across anymore (check right back with “Sun Will Shine” a few tracks later). When the official tracks end with the spaced out and somewhat “groovy” cut “Time”, the transfixiating and pure human emotion might just be a bit unmanageable.
There is something about the spirit of Menhirs Of Er Grah that is so relatable and communicably accessible. The lyrics are everything we want to hear. Whether hidden in the darkest depths of your solitude riddled basement, or out on the sandy beaches of joy and rhythm amongst the happy and unrefined, From Here To You is sure to be a touching masterpiece that will fit whatever occasion you might prefer. Thom Carter is just that brilliant. His words are mysterious to a certain extent, but not too mysterious that you might become lost in a wet dream of pretentious desire that you would never want to wake from. This is what music was always meant to be – a beautiful process built around the ambiguous desire of an artist yearning to break free from the unnecessary boundaries of normalcy. Nobody understands this more than Thom Carter.
Download: “Long Time Gone” by Menhirs Of Er Grah
[audio:100831-menhirs-of-er-grah-long-time-gone.mp3|titles=Long Time Gone|artists=Menhirs Of Er Grah]
Verlaine Records [CD, 2010]
1. Long Time Gone
2. Child Of Mercy
3. Simple Life
4. Let Nothing Come Between Us
5. Willow Tree
6. Sun Will Shine
7. Never Too Late
8. Time
